


Archaeology Class

by spoilersweetie



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-04
Updated: 2012-10-14
Packaged: 2017-11-15 15:50:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/528935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spoilersweetie/pseuds/spoilersweetie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor decides to pop in on one of River's lectures and has to admit that he finds this 'professor' side of her really rather sexy. River however, knew from the moment he walked into her class that this was never going to end well...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She knew he was here. She could…sense him. Maybe that was silly but that’s what it felt like. Or perhaps it was the Tardis she could sense, after all, she was a part of her. She’d felt her when she materialised ten minutes or so ago as sure as she would feel a strong gust of wind hit her on an otherwise sunny day. 

So it comes as no surprise to River Song, when, in the middle of a lecture she’s giving a group of first-year students on the crash of one of the most famous starships to date, the door at the back of the lecture hall opens and in walks the Doctor. 

Ready for him as she’d been, she is able to keep her composure in front of her class. “Can I help you sir?” She asks him shortly and formally. 

“Oh, yes - hello!” The Doctor grins at her as her class turns to see who had interrupted. “I’m looking for Professor Song’s class, I was told it was in this room…” He says, playing along. 

“You were told right - what can I help you with?” She asks him with a perfect poker face. 

The Doctor shrugs. “Thinking of switching to archaeology - they suggested I sit in on your lecture.”

“I see. Switching from what?”

“Quantum Physics.” 

“Quite a leap.”

Another shrug and a grin. “I like a challenge.”

She resists the urge to roll her eyes and instead continues, “Well take a seat then sir, and please be quiet about it, I am in the middle of a lecture.” Although still keeping up her charade in front of her class, her words hold a warning to him, as does the look she fixes him with before turning her attention back to her class.

“So, as I was saying. The ship had three-hundred and thirty floors, each of which had been specially designed to provide the…” She falters as she watches the Doctor making his way to a seat; he is sidling through the middle row of students, making them all shift about and mutter, some having to move bags and stand up to allow him to squeeze past. Finally he settles himself in an empty seat right in the middle, apologising to the people beside him. River loudly clears her throat and he looks over at her. 

“Sorry - carry on!”

She gives him another glare before continuing. 

Unfortunately, the subject matter River is lecturing on today is something she is not particularly enthusiastic about but a necessary part of the course, it is therefore, somewhat difficult for her to concentrate on what she’s talking about rather than being distracted by the presence of the Doctor. 

_Damn that man_ , she thinks furiously, when another involuntary glance at him causes her to forget what she’s saying mid-sentence and stutter for a few seconds before continuing. It isn’t even like he’s _doing_ anything, but he’s sitting there, right in the middle of her lecture hall, in amongst all her students and _watching_ her with that damned smirk on his face. And now she’s thinking of him instead of what she’s teaching, and about how much she wants this lecture to be over so she can see him properly and it’s all going down hill.

“So,” She forces her eyes away from his again as she finishes on one particular topic. “Before we move on, are there any questions?”

River just _knew_ the Doctor’s hand would raise and she closes her eyes for a second, knowing she can’t ignore him when he’s sat himself right in the middle of her students so she asks with a sigh, “Yes?”

“Well it’s not so much as a question, just that I’d like to tell you that you’re wrong.” He says with a smirk she wants to slap off his face. There is a soft hum of voices as the students turn in their seats to get a look at who dared to be so outspoken. 

“Is that so?” She asks irritably. 

“Yep.”

“About what?”

“Everything you just said,” he tells her brightly. “But go on, you wanted to move on to Latissimon.”

“Right,” she snaps, trying shoot him her best you-better-be-quiet-now-and-you’re-in-big-trouble-later look before turning her attention back to her class. “So -”

“Erm, professor?” She is cut off by a student’s voice as he raises his hand. 

“Yes, Mr Jeffries?”

“Don’t you want to know why he thinks you’re wrong?”

She hears the hum of a few other students agreeing. She snaps her attention back to the Doctor. 

“Do you have a degree in archaeology sir?” She asks him shortly. 

He smirks. “Hell no.”

She turns back to Mr Jeffries. “Then no, Matthew, I do not. So, moving on -”

“Professor?”

She gives a heavy sigh. “ _Yes_ , Miss Long?”

“Do you mind if _I_ ask him why he thinks you’re wrong? I mean - this class is supposed to be about debate right? Isn’t a lot of archaeological work about controversy?”

River grinds her teeth. “Fine, ask away.” She huffs, shooting the Doctor another glare, this one clearly an I-hate-you. 

The girl, along with all the other students turn to the Doctor expectantly. 

He looks triumphant. “Well,” he begins grandly. “I won’t go in to too much detail - that would take all day - but the lovely professor here is basing most of what she just said on her opinion that the Ploton Five was brought down by accident -”

“Fact.” River argues. 

“What?”

“Not my opinion, it’s a proven fact. As I explained, if you’d been listening _sir_ , parts of the engine were found in which severe technical faults were discovered. They clearly malfunctioned mid-flight which brought the whole starship down.”

“Ah yes, that might be how it seemed,” the Doctor continued, “but actually those faults weren’t built in. They were created mid-flight. There was a mutiny on board.”

“There has been _no_ evidence of anything of the like,” she snaps back, getting extremely irritated with the way he was attempting to undermine her in front of her own class. “There were no survivors, and no journals, note-pods, nothing, so I don‘t know where you could have got that idea from!”

River doesn’t think she’d ever known her students so quiet, all their attention completely transfixed by this man who had the balls to argue with their professor. They watch the conversation flick back and forth between the two with ardour. 

The Doctor continues, “There were no journals or anything, no -” 

“Then what are you basing your opinion on?” River demands hotly. 

“Not opinion. Fact. And as I would have said if you hadn‘t interrupted me, actually there was _one_ survivor.” He points to himself with a grin. 

This statement is followed by a little laughter, and a few whispers shooting round the room. 

“You were a survivor of Ploton Five?” River demands with a raised eyebrow that makes it seem as if she thinks the man is clearly insane - when in actual fact she knows he’s most probably telling the truth and she could kill him for doing so.

“Yep.”

“It happened over two thousand years ago.” She tells him, as if speaking to a stupid child. A few laughs twitter round the hall.

“I know. I was there.” 

She doesn‘t miss a beat. “Time travel is illegal sir.” She holds his gaze, daring him to accuse her in front of her class. 

He stares at her for a few moments, a smirk on his lips before he gives a small laugh. “Who said I used time travel? Maybe I’m just _really_ old.”

“Over two thousand?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Their eyes lock for a suspended moment, and she silently warns him that she’s going to _kill_ him later for coming in here, and arguing and _flirting_ with her in front of her class!

“Well!” She finally breaks the silence, addressing the class again. “If the idiot in the third row has _quite_ finished wasting my time and disrupting my lesson, shall we move on?”

“Um -” The Doctor raises his hand again, “I haven’t quite finished actually.”

Students nudge each other and whisper some more. 

She shoots him her deadliest glare yet. “You have if you know what’s good for you.”

He glares back for a few seconds before grinning. “Okay.” He says brightly with a shrug. “Maybe I should see you after class to finish this debate then?”

She raises an eyebrow at him. “I think you should definitely do that, sir.” 

Her words hold a warning and a few murmurs of, “He’s in for it!” and the like can be heard flittering around the lecture hall. 

Another grin, and he stretches his hands out in front of him before putting them behind his head. “I look forward to it.”

She holds his gaze another moment. “I wouldn’t if I were you. So, class. Shall we continue? Who knows anything about the city of Latissimon?”

Students raise their hands and the class continues, the Doctor, much to River’s relief, remaining silent through the rest of it.

Having had his fun (he does so enjoy riling her, he can never get a debate out of anyone quite as good as the ones between he and his wife - not to mention she looks damn cute when she’s irritated) The Doctor is content to watch her quietly now with a small smile on his lips as he admires the way she conducts herself in front of her students. 

She clearly knows what she’s talking about and does so in a way that even he manages to find what she’s saying vaguely interesting - although he’ll deny forever that he was _ever_ fascinated in an archaeology class. When hands go up, she always pauses to take the time to hear what the particular student has to say, listening to the silly questions the in the same way she listens to the more intelligent ones. And he loves that she knows every answer. 

A few glances around make it clear to him that almost if not all sat in the lecture hall are hanging on to River’s every word - himself included - and he has to admit that he finds the whole situation; River Song in front of the class, being a professor…more than a slight turn on.

When the lecture comes to an end, River dismisses the class and they all file out, chatting amongst themselves until only one student remains, hovering by her desk. 

“Professor?” It’s Matthew Jeffries. 

“Yes Mr Jeffries?”

He glances at the Doctor, still seated in the third row and then looks back at River. “Do you mind if I listen in on this? I’m interested to hear his theories on Ploton Five.”

She sighs heavily. “His theories are a loads of rubbish, Matthew, it would be nothing but a waste of your time to hear what he has to say, and I suggest you spend that time more usefully - like working on your paper? From what I saw of it yesterday you need to get a move on if you’re planning to get it finished on time.”

Matthew ducks his head. “Yes professor,” he mutters, and makes his way towards the door. 

“Don’t take any prisoners do you?” The Doctor comments cheekily from his seat.

“You be quiet, you’re in enough trouble as it is.” River snaps at him.

The Doctor smirks and mock-salutes her. “Yes professor.”

Matthew has paused at the door, looking at the both of them with slightly narrowed eyes. “Do you two know each other?” He asks suspiciously. 

“No,” River answers, a little too quickly, and keeping a straight face, tells Matthew, “Never met him before in my life.”

The young student looks from River, who is keeping a poker face, to the Doctor who shrugs, before he shrugs himself. “See you tomorrow professor.” He makes to leave the room. 

“Today, Mr Jeffries!” River calls before he can close the door behind him. 

He pops his head back in. “Huh?”

“You have Ancient Artefacts with me after lunch,” she tells him in exasperation. 

“Oh.” He screws his forehead up in thought. “Man is it Thursday? I thought it was Friday.”

“Wishful thinking I’m sure,” River rolls her eyes. “Now go on, off you go.”

Another shrug and he grins at her. “Ah well, could be worse, at least I actually enjoy your classes. See you later Professor Song!” He calls out as he leaves. 

“He fancies you.” The Doctor comments the second the door shuts. 

She rolls her eyes, turning away from him to gather the papers on her desk into a pile. “My entire class fancies me.”

He raises his eyebrows, laughing a little. “Aren’t you the modest one?”

She shrugs. “Why deny it?” Turning to face him, she continues, “And who can blame them, I fancied _myself_ when I first regenerated.”

He laughs again. “Oh River Song. There is no-one like you.”

She is not in the mood for jesting. “What do you want, Doctor, why did you come here?” 

“To see you.”

“To screw up my lecture more like!” Her words are hot and he can tell she’s still cross.

Attempting to break the ice he grins as he walks down the steps towards her. “Just keeping you on your toes.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Keeping me -!? I could just… _kill_ you sometimes you know that Doctor?”

He grins at her again although he can tell she is genuinely fuming so tries a pout instead as he comes to a stop before her.

“You’re teaching all these young students facts that aren’t true - I was only trying to help with their education.”

“I’m teaching them facts that are _known_ as archaeological facts - you can’t just come waltzing in here and contradict that!” She tells him crossly. 

“But you know I’m right.”

“I don’t _care!_ You can’t always _be_ right Doctor!”

“But I can’t help it!” He claims.

“You can keep your bloody mouth shut when you’re sitting in on one of my lectures!”

“But River,” his voice has taken on that whiny tone she just _hates_. “My mouth doesn’t like staying shut!”

“For God’s sake Doctor,” she mutters crossly. “Why do you have to be so… _you_ all the time!?” She huffs and sits down on her desk. 

The Doctor is silent for a few moments before, “River?”

“What?”

He steps forward and places his hands on her knees, dropping his voice with a smirk. “You’re sexy when you’re being all…professorish.”

She normally would have smiled, or quipped back with something just as flirty but she is genuinely cross with him right now and turns her head away. “Don’t try it Doctor, I’m not in the mood.”

“Thought you were always in the mood?” He teases cheekily, his hands gripping her knees and trying to push them apart so he can step between them, but she refuses to move her legs and instead pushes him away from her. 

“Get off, you’ve pissed me off and I’m stopping myself from slapping you right now so don’t push it!”

The Doctor steps away, a surprised and slightly hurt expression on his face when he realises how genuinely angry she seems to be. 

“I was only having a bit of fun. I thought you liked our banter?”

“Not when it’s in front of my students I don’t!”

“River. They’re not going to believe what I say, _you’re_ their professor, who it’s obvious they admire and look up to - I’m just some mad-man in the third row.”

“That’s not the point!” She snaps.

He holds his hands up in surrender. “Okay - okay!” He sighs heavily. “I’m sorry I upset you.”

She looks at him expectantly, an eyebrow raised. “And?”

“And…I’m sorry I contradicted you in front of your class.”

“And?”

“And…I promise never to do it again?”

She huffs. “That’ll do for now.”

He stares at her until she flicks her eyes up to meet his. He is looking at her intently, a small smile on his lips. “Want me to make it up to you?”

She raises an eyebrow. “How?”

He grins and steps forward to kiss her on the mouth, moving his lips tenderly against hers. He feels her sigh and relax against him as he winds his hands into her hair, and when he pulls back to rest his forehead against hers they are both breathing deeply. 

“How long before your next lecture?” He whispers. 

“An hour.”

“Well.” He drops another kiss to her lips. “That gives me just enough time then.”

“To what?”

“To make it up to you.”

She can‘t prevent herself from smiling and she presses her body a little closer to his. “Does it now?”

“Mmm hmm. I’ll even let you get the handcuffs out.”

She laughs at that, and all the anger she’d felt towards him is gone. She can never stay mad at the insufferable man for long. 

He kisses her again and she opens her mouth beneath his to let her tongue slide against his, drawing a soft moan from him. After a few moments of the deep kiss she lets him lie her back on the desk, their tongues dancing as he leans over her, standing between her legs. She lifts a high-heeled foot, and wraps her leg around his waist, grinding her lower body none-too-subtly against his. They both moan deep in their throats, and are panting when they part for air. 

“River,” he mutters hoarsely as he moves down to press open-mouthed kisses to her neck. 

“No handcuffs sweetie,” she pants, running her hands underneath his tweed jacket. “Just you.” She lets out a sigh as she tilts her head back to allow him to suck gently at her pulse point. “I missed you,” she breathes. 

“Missed you too,” he just about manages to mumble against her neck. 

“Where’s the Tardis?” She asks breathlessly, her hearts hammering and heat pooling fast between her legs. 

“Down the hallway by the cafeteria,” he answers shortly between kisses as he undoes a shirt button. 

“Oh…” she mentally swears; that’s two buildings away and at least a five minute walk. “Fuck it,” she proclaims, and shoves his jacket off, yanking his bowtie undone and starting on the buttons of his shirt.

The Doctor quickly follows her lead, popping her shirt buttons one by one, tugging it open once it’s undone, his hand finding its way quickly inside the lacy material of her bra to squeeze and fondle a breast. She moans and wriggles against him, pulling his stupid braces off and going straight for the button on his trousers. It’s his turn to moan when she gets her hand inside and her lips curl up into a smirk as she teases him. 

River briefly slides her legs from his waist to wriggle out of her underwear and the Doctor manages to gather his thoughts enough to have the sense to pull away from her mouth. 

“River,” he mutters against her neck, “Are you sure about this? Couldn’t someone come in…?”

“Yes,” she pants out, “And if I get fired for having sex in my lecture hall it’s _your fault.”_

“Me?” He protests, offended. “How is it my fault?”

“Because _you_ started it,” she tells him as she grinds her hips against his, making them both gasp. “And _you_ parked the Tardis too far away.”

“Actually,” he argues as he runs eager hands up her sides inside her shirt, “ _you_ started it, being all sexy and in-charge and clever…I’m actually quite proud of the fact I didn’t jump on you in the middle of your lecture.”

She laughs throatily. “Well I’m certainly glad you managed to restrain yourself. Not sure that would have gone…down…” she gasps as he bites lightly at her pulse point, “Too well…”

“Or,” he mumbles, “It would have done, which would have been equally not good…”

“Oh God can you stop talking,” she groans, panting heavily, “And start doing!”

He grins against her lips. “You don’t have to ask me twice…”


	2. Chapter 2

x 

Approximately forty-five minutes later, River and the Doctor lie side by side on the floor, their hair and clothing in utter disarray, and a thin sheen of sweat coating them as they try to regain their breath. 

“How did we end up down here?” It suddenly occurs to River. 

Still looking up at the ceiling, the Doctor frowns. “I don’t know.” And then he grins and turns his head to face her. “And it’s not often I don’t know things,” he beams at her. She rolls her eyes and there is a peaceful pause, in which only the sound of their shallow breaths and loudly beating hearts fill the room. 

“How many lectures have you got left today?” The Doctor asks her softly after a moment, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on an elbow to look down at her. 

“Just one.”

“Then after - will you come with me? I discovered the most fabulous restaurant in thirty-third century France - I knew you’d love it as soon as I found it. They do those spiced croissants you love,” he waggles his eyebrows, trying to entice her. 

She smiles. “Okay.” And then sighs before sitting up, running a hand through her hair in an attempt to make it presentable. “As long as you let me fly the Tardis back after,” she continues as she gets to her feet and starts to pull her clothes together. “I can’t miss tomorrow’s classes, my students have important papers due in.”

The Doctor grins, ignoring the insult as he bounces to his own feet to lean forward and drop a kiss to her lips. “It’s a deal…as long as we don’t have to fly back _straight_ after…the Tardis has missed you and my room’s been empty without you.”

Smiling wider she lifts a hand to his cheek. “Goes without saying that I’ll stay the night sweetie. Besides you’re not done making that stunt you pulled in my lecture up to me yet!”

“I’m not?”

“No.”

“Well…” he presses himself against her, backing her up into the digital blackboard behind her. “How much more time do we have left before your class?”

She lets out a sigh. “Definitely not enough for _that_.” 

He runs a hand up her thigh under her skirt. “You sure?”

She gives an involuntary sharp intake of breath as his hand reaches the top and slips between her legs. “Yes,” she breathes. 

He is smirking at her clouded eyes. “Really sure?”

She lets out a sigh. “I…” she is breathing heavily now and has forgotten what she was trying to say. Her hands grip his biceps tightly, her red nails unintentionally digging in a little as she starts to rock her hips in time with the movements of his skilled fingers. “Stop it,” she pants out, “It must be…nearly be - time…time for my class…”

The Doctor cannot resist leaning down and kissing her when her face is flushed and beautiful like that and she’s clutching onto him like there’s no tomorrow. She kisses him back, passionately, and her leg slides up of it’s own accord to hook over his hip where his free hand automatically slips down to cup it under her knee and hold it in place. 

She moans softly, her eyes fluttering closed and the Doctor grins. 

“Still want me to stop?”

“No,” she breathes out, gripping his arms a little tighter, before she takes a deep breath and tries to pull herself together. “ _Yes_ ,” she corrects, and grips his wrist, tugging his hand away from her as she drops her leg back to the floor. She looks at him apologetically. “Later sweetie.”

The Doctor sighs heavily and runs a hand through his hair. “Suppose I should go.” He says, although he makes no move to put any distance between them. 

“Yes, you should. Or I’ll never get through this next class with you here distracting me again.”

He pouts a little at the scolding. 

“Wait for me in the Tardis?” She asks. 

He nods, but looks unhappy to be leaving her. “Don’t be long.”

She smiles. “I’ll be an hour sweetie. I’m sure you can last an hour without me.”

“Hmm, I’m not,” he grumbles. 

“Don’t pout my love, you’ll get lines.” She teases him, poking a finger to his forehead. When he catches her hand in his, she can’t resist leaning in to kiss him again, (just a breif ’see you later’ kiss, she tells herself) and he kisses her back immediately, his hands slipping round her waist. This kiss is slow and languid, but it still manages to hold all the passion they just experienced and the promise of more to come. River slides her arms up round his neck, and presses herself close to him.

And before she knows it he has her lying back on the desk again with her legs dangling over the edge and him leaning down over her as their mouths move against each other. Somewhere, in the very far back of her mind she knows she needs to stop this before it goes any further again, but his hands are running up under her shirt and she is moaning against his mouth, and just a couple more minutes, she thinks vaguely, until she will push him away and insist he leave. Her hands tangle in his thick dark locks and she clutches his head tightly to keep him pulled to her as their tongues twist together…

Until the door bursts open, and a pile of noisy students tumble in. 

Panic floods through River as her hearts plummet in her chest and she shoves the Doctor quickly away from her and scrambles to get up and off the desk, although knowing there’s no disguising the situation.

The noise stops abruptly as the students all simultaneously come to a shocked halt.

There are a few seconds of painful absolute silence as with burning red faces, River and the Doctor straighten their clothes, trying to pull themselves together.

A loud young man with short white hair who, at most times, was more than a bit of a nuisance in class, breaks the silence with a loud catcall and a shout of “Woohoo looks like the professor got lucky!” He nudges his friends and his exclamation leads to laughter, mostly from the male students, along with more whistling and cheering. 

River wants the floor to open up and swallow her in that moment, and possibly for the first time in her life, she doesn’t know what to say. 

Luckily a blonde haired girl who sits in the front row and who River has always liked, comes to her rescue. “Alright guys come on, I think we should step outside for a moment, come on - out!” She shoos her laughing, twittering peers out of the classroom, sending a small reassuring smile River’s way before she follows them out and closes the door behind her. It does nothing to vanish the racket her students are now causing - or to hide what they’re saying. 

River and the Doctor look at each other. The Doctor is straightening his jacket nervously, his face still red and River is biting her lip. 

“I hate you.” She proclaims after a moments silence. 

“Me?” He splutters. “How is this my fault!?”

She fixes him with a look that dares him to argue. “It’s _your_ fault, sweetie.” She runs her hands through her hair and over her face and lets out a shaky breath. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this embarrassed in my life. Not even when my parents walked in on us.”

The Doctor‘s eyebrows shoot skywards. “They - _what!?_ ”

River looks up to catch his eyes. “Whoops. Spoilers?”

“What - Amy and Rory walk in on us…doing what??”

Even in her embarrassed state a small grin has to tug at River’s lips at the Doctor’s obvious panic. She shakes her head. “ _Spoilers_. But, obviously, something not unlike what we were just doing.”

The Doctor eyes the desk with wide eyes. 

“But with less clothes.” She can’t resist adding. 

“What!?”

“But forget that Doctor, _this_ is worse - I’m never going to be able to stand up in front of my class again!” She moans, turning away from him to fist both hands in her curly hair. 

Sensing her distress, the Doctor places a hand on her shoulder. “Of course you will - you’re River Song,” he tells her with a small smile. 

“I’m going to kill you.” She says. 

“Well. Now that’s not really -”

“I can’t believe that just happened!” She whirls back to face him and he sees that her face is flushed red and she looks a little like she may be starting to panic. 

“River, just - calm down -”

“Don’t ‘River’ me!” She snaps, slapping the hand he places on her shoulder away. “This is terrible, it’s mortifying! I have to stand up and teach these people every day, and they respected me! Oh God…”

Quickly, the Doctor realises that she seems to be working herself into a bit of a state and that if he doesn‘t do something now she is looking like she may actually start to cry. “Come on River,” he tries to reason with her. “It’s not _that_ bad…at least we weren’t…doing anything that terrible. Think if they’d walked in ten minutes earlier…now that _would_ have been embarrassing…”

 _“Not_ helping Doctor!”

“Oh, right.” He scratches the back of his head. “Well, just trying to get you to see that the gravity of the situation really isn’t as bad as it could be -”

“Yes it is, it’s awful! I…I‘m just going to…come to the Tardis with you now and go. And never come back here.” 

“River,” he takes hold of her shoulders to get her to look him in the eye. “Come on, don’t be silly. You don’t care about some kids seeing you in a…slightly heated situation. You once danced on a bar in front of a room full of people in just your underwear.”

Her eyebrows shoot up and she can’t help herself from laughing out loud at that. “Spoilers!”

He narrows his eyes at her. “No I don’t think so, you were quite young. I think you were probably just too drunk to remember it - I did end up having to carry you most of the way back to the Tardis shortly afterwards.”

She is still laughing and he silently congratulates himself on managing to rid her of her distress. “Did I really? I honestly don’t remember that. Sounds like it was a good job you were there then...”

“Yes, I dread to think what you get up to when I’m not around to carry you home.” He pokes her in the side lightly. 

“Oh sweetie you don’t want to know.”

“I’m sure you’re probably right.”

They both laugh lightly and then she sighs. “I’m never going to live this down.”

“But you’re not leaving now?”

“No,” another sigh. “Of course not. You should probably go, and tell them to come back in on your way out, suppose I better face the jeers and teasing I’m gonna get sooner rather than later.”

The Doctor’s eyes go wide at the thought of facing the rowdy mob. “Are you joking! I’m not going out there!” He looks genuinely terrified. 

River plants her hands on her hips. “Well you’re going to have to some time.”

“No I don’t. They’re your students - think I best leave the explaining to you!” And with that he grins at her, plants a kiss on her cheek, and with a comment of, “See you in an hour dear!” Is bounding up the stairs to the door at the back of the lecture hall. 

“Doctor!”

“One hour - I’ll be waiting!”

“I hate you!” She calls after him as he reaches the top. 

“No you don’t!” The door shuts behind him and she huffs loudly. 

She gives herself a minute to prepare herself, straightening her clothes out and running hands through her hair before taking a deep breath and walking over to the door. 

“In you come,” she says quietly as she opens it, and moves to stand by her desk as the class file in, desperately trying to ignore the giggles and whispers. 

When the class is all seated and the twittering hasn’t stopped, River knows there is only one thing she can do, and that’s face the situation head on, and with honesty. It’s either that or have a hundred rumours spread around the university, not to mention the possibility of loosing her job for sleeping with a ‘student’. In her lecture hall. In the middle of the day. 

“Well,” she begins, a hush falling over her class considerably quicker than usual. “After that…rather awkward moment and…very unprofessional display I think I owe you an explanation - or rather, I’d like to give you one, so you don’t think things about me that definitely aren’t true.” River doesn’t think she’s ever known her class to be so quiet. “That man…wasn’t a stranger -”

“I knew it!“ Matthew Jeffries interrupts. 

River gives him a stern look before continuing. “Far from it actually, he was…well…” She wonders for a split second if she will regret this but knows the alternative is definitely worse so continues, “…He’s my husband.”

Gasps and whispers flitter round the lecture hall. 

“But,” she continues, “You see we don’t have a very conventional relationship, we…don’t see each other all that much really. Things are complicated and mostly it’s easier just to pretend we’re not married. Although, granted, me playing along with his little game of pretending to be a transfer student was not the wisest thing I’ve ever done.”

A few laughs are gained at this and, thankfully, River notices that they seem to be laughing with and not at her. 

“And like I said, we don’t see much of each other and it has been a while since I last saw him,“ _that_ him anyway, she thinks, “Which, I suppose, is the only excuse I can make for what you just witnessed.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it professor,” a girl in the second row, Janie Peters, pipes up. “My boyfriend works on the Neptune Mines, sometimes we don’t see each other for months and when we do it’s not for long. We usually can’t keep our hands off each other. Last time he was allowed to beam home for the weekend he like, jumped on me in the hallway and we ended up doing it in the boys bathroom in the science block.”

“Okay,” River speaks over the laughter of her class, “Thank you for that Miss Peters.” She says with a stern tone although she is smiling at the girl, and glad that she seems to have broken the awkward atmosphere.

“So, who is he?” Matthew Jeffries asks as the laughter dies down. 

“Who’s who?” River replies, knowing exactly who he means. 

“That man - your husband?”

She smiles and shakes her head. “Can’t tell you that.”

He opens his mouth to reply but a blue haired girl by the name of Laiz cuts in. “I never knew you were married professor.”

River shrugs. “Most people don’t. My marriage is…complicated. I tend to keep it to myself if I can help it.”

“Why is it complicated? Because of the being apart thing?” Asks Janie. 

“Many reasons.”

“Like what?” Asks a boy in the back row. 

“Okay, I think this is where I tell you all to mind your own business. But, really, I do apologise for…before. It was totally unprofessional and I’m sorry.”

“Seriously professor, it’s alright.” Says Laiz. “You’re only human.”

Inside her head, River has to laugh. _That’s what you think._

“Well…thank you for being so understanding all of you. And without further ado shall we start with today’s lecture?” 

The rest of the class goes by smoothly, and River is relieved that her students leave the matter of her and the Doctor alone. She finishes the class with another apology, and a thanks for their understanding, adding; “I know I can’t prevent gossip from circulating, I’m sure it will no matter what I say but please, I’m asking you to at least be kind to me. I would really rather I don’t end up getting fired for what happened. I’m starting to like it here.” She smiles. 

“Hey, don’t worry professor it was no biggie. My lips are sealed.” Janie says immediately and the rest of the class agree.

“Well thank you. I appreciate that. Now go on, off you all go.”

River breathes a sigh of relief as they file out, and although they are clearly trying to keep their voices down as they leave the room, they apparently think their professor is partially deaf as she is able to hear to most of their comments and speculations as she gathers her papers. 

“I heard she’s married to the Doctor!”

“Doctor who?”

“You know - _the_ Doctor!”

“You mean that Time Lord guy? The one who supposedly used to go around saving everyone? He’s not _real_ you know, only kids believe those stories!”

“Well from what I heard he’s real - I know someone who knows someone who met him.”

“Oh yeah he’s real alright - and some people say that he had a wife named River Song! Go figure.”

“Is that the professor’s first name?”

“Could be - I know it starts with an R, I saw her initials on a letter once!”

“I heard River Song _killed_ the Doctor - she was imprisoned in Stormcage for it - didn’t you know?”

“Well maybe she got out.”

“Yeah I heard she got a pardon.”

“That’s not true, it can’t be - nobody gets out of Stormcage!”

“Yeah and if that _was_ the Doctor, how could he be here if she killed him?”

“Duh, he’s a Time Lord - he probably has no idea she killed a future him.”

“But she said that man was her husband so it _can‘t_ be him.”

Their voices fade as they exit the room, and through the open door the last few bits of their conversations drift down the corridor. 

“Maybe she married him and _then_ she killed him!”

“Yeah she could be like, a psychopath or something, they say you can never tell.”

“Yeah but come on, that can’t be the professor!”

“You never know.”

“I always thought there was something weird about her…”

Inside the lecture hall, River Song’s lips curl upwards into a smile.


End file.
